


The Ice Witch Stole the Ruby

by WhiteravenGreywolf



Series: Chrisby Modern AU [1]
Category: Lovecraft Country (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, F/F, Family Drama, Family Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, When your sister hates your new gf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27640927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteravenGreywolf/pseuds/WhiteravenGreywolf
Summary: Ruby's had a tough year. Between the death of her mother and becoming her younger sister's legal guardian, she really hasn't had the time for dating. So when she meets Christina at Sammy's, she's intrigued. And Leti is happy for her, until she finds out who her date is...
Relationships: Ruby Baptiste & Letitia "Leti" Lewis, Ruby Baptiste/Christina Braithwhite
Series: Chrisby Modern AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025580
Comments: 77
Kudos: 149





	1. The Drink She Didn't Know She Needed

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm so excited about this new story! It's definitely one of my favorites I've ever written (I feel like I say this for every new story I write, but this one is really a new favorite of mine) I have to give a shout-out to Mars who gave me the initial idea for this!  
> I was about to start working on the sequel to "The Never Named City" this morning, but then last night I decided to revive an idea I'd had a while back. Now bare with me here: I'm gonna have to write Christina a bit OOC BUT there's a good reason behind it. Basically the idea is "The spell says we need Christina to bring Ruby back, but it doesn't say which one".  
> Also yesterday Wunmi Mosaku got nominated for a Critics Choice Award for her work on Lovecraft Country (and boy do we love her work on LC) and I seriously hope that she wins!  
> Anyway, you know the drill by now, daily updates, don't forget to subscribe, comments are good for my health and I hope you'll enjoy this story!

Letitia was seating at the kitchen table, procrastinating her homework by complaining.

  
"All I did was whisper a single word that there's no way she could have heard, and she threatened to give me detention for disturbing the class!"

  
Ruby was fixing herself a quick snack before going to Sammy's bar for the evening, where she was scheduled to perform.

  
"I'm assuming that if she threatened with detention it's because she heard what you said."

  
"It wasn't even bad."

  
Ruby leaned against the kitchen counter, sandwich in hand as she listened to her younger sister's rant.

  
"What did you say?"

  
"I just whispered to Atticus that I thought more Confederate soldiers should have died. I mean, they defended slavery!"

  
Ruby rolled her eyes. Being opinionated was a family trait to be sure, but where Ruby had had the wisdom to hold her tongue during History classes, Leti had a tendency toward recklessness and impulsiveness that could only lead to trouble.

  
"Be that as it may, you can keep your comments for after the class."

  
This time, it was Leti who rolled her eyes.

  
"Whatever. I bet the ice bitch had Confederate ancestors."

  
"Leti," Ruby warned.

  
"You should see her! She's probably super rich cause there's no way she's buying suits like that with a teacher's salary, and there's only so many ways an unmarried white woman has so much money."

  
At this point, Ruby had completely tuned out her sister's ranting. She washed her plate quickly, letting it dry in the rack, then glanced at the time on the microwave.

  
"Time to go."

  
She went into the living room to get her jacket and her guitar, already secured in its traveling bag. As she got ready and checked her appearance one last time in the mirror, Ruby said:

  
"Finish your homework. I seriously hope you'll be in bed when I come back."

  
Leti vaguely hummed and looked down at her open textbook.

  
"And Leti, please, I don't want to be called away from work because you called your History teacher a Confederate, or whatever. Do I make myself clear?"

  
"Yeah, yeah..."

  
Ruby sighed. This was at best as it would get.

  
"Good night," she said as she went to unlock the front door.

  
"Break a leg," Leti shouted before she left as she began focusing on her homework again.

* * *

Christina stepped into a small but neat bar. There was a stage with a single mic and a big spotlight above at the end of the room. Tables scattered about in front of it, with old, solid wooden booths against the left wall. The right side was occupied by the bar counter, with an equally long and filled-up shelf of bottles behind it. Every stool at the bar had been taken and brought as near to the stage as possible.

  
To her surprise, the bar was packed. She'd never been there, and she didn't imagine it would be so full. Everyone seemed to be waiting excitedly for the performance of the night. In fact, it was the reason why she'd come here in the first place. Her date had said the singer on Thursdays was amazing. So Christina had agreed to this bar for their first date.

  
She leaned against the bar, trying to get the attention of the barman. Once she'd ordered a whiskey, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She was perhaps dressed just a bit too well for the place, but it was a first date, and she wanted to make a good impression. She wore gray pants and a white shirt, with a vest and jacket assorted to her pants. Her long blonde hair was loose, falling over her shoulders.

  
She texted her date, letting her know that she had arrived. Then, she pocketed the phone and took a sip of her drink. She wasn't nervous. Although she'd texted the woman a few times, this was a sort of blind date, arranged by a nosy colleague. Whether something came of it or not didn't exactly matter to her. She had plans and projects and ambitions, and juggling a relationship with all that would simply complicate things. But she never said no to a chance to get her head out of piles of essays to grade.

  
She scanned the room as she waited, in case her date was already there. The room was filled with all kinds of people, from young, barely legally able to drink age to the oldest regulars. There were framed photos on the walls, old black and white pictures of the neighborhood around the time the bar had opened. Had there been less of a crowd, Christina might have taken the time to look at all of them, but she didn't feel like squeezing past people for a glimpse at a time before theirs.

  
When the crowd began to clap, Christina understood that the singer had stepped on stage. She pulled her phone out. Her date was ten minutes late, and she'd yet to reply to her message. Christina took another sip of her drink. She decided that if her date hadn't arrived in twenty minutes, she would leave. No point in spending the evening waiting.

  
"Good evening everyone," the singer – a woman – said from the stage. "I see the usual crowd is here. And a few new faces too."

  
"You're gonna have to push the walls, Sammy!" someone shouted, making the others, including the singer, laugh.

  
"I'm Ruby and I'll be singing you a few songs tonight."

  
"Do 'It's Only a Paper Moon'!" someone else shouted from the crowd.

  
"You know what, yeah, let's start with a bit of Ella Fitzgerald."

  
The crowd, especially the man who'd shouted the request, cheered.

  
"This is 'Dream a Little Dream of Me'."

  
The crowd chuckled. Christina smiled, amused by the singer's antics. She shifted to get a better look at the stage. The singer was a tall black woman, seating on a stool, the light beaming down on her. She was holding a well-worn guitar, the strap passing around her shoulder. She was wearing a sequin dress that seemed to shine like hundreds of stars under the spotlight. Her hair was short, curly, and a small flower was pinned behind her ear. She got a better hold of the guitar and starting plucking the strings. Christina took a sip of her drink. Ruby began to sing.

  
Christina would not consider music a passion of hers. She listened to it on occasion. Her father was a lover of classical music and in correlation, she'd developed a hatred for the genre. She did not go out of her way to listen to music. She preferred silence, most of the time. So to hear the singer's incredible voice pierce through her soul after the first few notes was a shock. Christina stared at the stage, stunned silent, in absolute awe. She'd never heard anyone sing like that. She was at an absolute loss of word, incapable of comprehending or putting words to what she was feeling. And just as quickly as it had started, it ended, as Ruby came to the end of the song.

  
Christina was snapped out of her trance by cheers, and she forgot to clap. She finished her drink in a single swig, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She found that she couldn't.

  
"Thank you," Ruby said. "Alright, what do you guys want to hear now? Give me something that swings."

  
A few names of songs were shouted, and Ruby said:

  
"'Tutti Frutti'? You guys, I would definitely need a band for that."

  
"Where's the band, Sammy?" the same annoying patron shouted, prompting the barman to shake his head and roll his eyes.

  
"'Hit the Road, Jack'? Alright, this one I can do."

  
To Christina's delight, Ruby began singing again. As if it hadn't penetrated Christina's mind yet that the singer was there to sing more than one song. She remained leaned against the counter, her empty glass in one hand and her eyes locked onto the stage. Soon, she forgot everything about time, or why she'd even come to the bar in the first place. Song after song passed, Christina being nothing but attentive to every word and note yet being unable to remember any of the songs Ruby had performed. When Ruby announced the last song, then stood up, the crowd clapping loudly, Christina felt her heart break a little.

  
She waited until the singer moved to the bar and the room had somewhat cleared, to approach her.

  
"I don't usually care for music but what you just performed was absolutely magical," she said, approaching the woman.

  
Ruby looked up from the glass Sammy had just poured her with an amused smile.

  
"What an opening. Do you practice often?"

  
"Every evening, in my bedroom, in front of the mirror."

  
"And does it often work?"

  
"I don't know. Is it working now?"

  
Ruby finished her glass with an eye roll but didn't ask Christina to leave. Christina motioned for Sammy to give her and Ruby another drink as she sat down on the stool beside her.

  
"I'm Christina."

  
"Ruby. I've never seen you here before," Ruby added after a pause.

  
"I was supposed to meet a woman here but I supposed she changed her mind. It happens more often than you think."

  
Ruby hummed.

  
"You got stood up?"

  
"I did. But I don't really care. It was worth it just to hear you sing."

  
Ruby looked Christina up and down, her expensive clothes and overall confident demeanor.

  
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me. I know your type."

  
Christina smirked.

  
"Really? What is my type?"

  
"You're the lawyer type. Young and ready to take on the world and destroy anyone in your way. Your type is trouble. You only take, you never give."

  
Christina took a sip before answering:

  
"I'm ambitious, it's true. I know what I want and I like to get what I want. Who doesn't? But I'm not a lawyer. I'm a high school teacher."

  
Ruby raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

  
"You, a high school teacher?"

  
"You don't believe me."

  
Ruby shrugged, taking a sip of her drink.

  
"A college professor I could have bought. But you really don't seem the high school teacher type."

  
"I came here hoping to become a college professor, actually, but there weren't any positions open. After a few months of doing nothing except reading books, I started going nuts so I thought I'd find something else to do, in the meantime. They're always looking for a somewhat sane and qualified teacher."

  
Ruby nodded. Then, she lifted her glass toward Christina.

  
"My condolences. Of all the jobs you could have picked, high school teacher was probably the worst pick. Teenagers are the worst, and I would know, I have one at home."

  
Christina gave her a curious look and Ruby added:

  
"My sister. She's sixteen. Long story short I have to take care of her, and I pray every Sunday that she won't end up in the principal's office the following week."

  
"That's very nice of you. But I don't think teenagers are the worst. Sure, they don't respect anything, and they don't care about anything, but who can blame them? With how things are looking for their future, it's not surprising. I could have ended up worse. Elementary school would have been a nightmare."

  
Ruby laughed, as she could not imagine the blonde trying to teach unruly children. Somehow Ruby imagined her to be a stern teacher who wanted peace and quiet to reign in her class.

  
"Aren't you a little sad you're going to have to go home alone tonight?" Ruby asked as she finished her second glass.

  
"Who says that I will?" Christina replied. "But it's up to you, really. What do you say? Would you like to accompany this sad high school teacher home, maybe get a chance to taste her expensive alcohols..."

  
"I don't do one-night stands," Ruby said.

  
"And I don't do relationships but somehow I'll be back here next week to hear you sing, and maybe we can do it again next week. Then it won't be just one night."

  
Ruby chuckled.

  
"You're so confident in your abilities that you think I'll want more?"

  
"I am confident in my abilities and I'm absolutely certain you'll want more."

* * *

Ruby woke up in a large round bed, satin sheets thrown casually on top of her. Someone was moving beside her, and once she managed to brush the sleep out of her eyes, she saw Christina getting dressed. The blonde was putting on a polo shirt and moving about the room with familiarity. When she noticed that Ruby was awake, she said:

  
"I hope I didn't wake you. I have a class at eight. You can stay here and sleep longer if you'd like."

  
It was true that Ruby's shift at Macy's didn't start until ten, but she knew she needed to go home and at least check on Leti. Her sister must have been worried that she didn't come home the night before.

  
"No, it's fine. I have to go home anyway."

  
Ruby stood up to get dressed. Her clothes were scattered about the room and she vaguely remembered leaving her jacket in the living room. As she dressed she could feel Christina's gaze on her, still devouring her as if the blonde hadn't had enough before. When she turned around to look at her, Christina held her gaze for a moment, a smirk on her lips, before looking at her reflection in the vanity. She was tying a scarf around her neck, trying to hide the hickeys Ruby had left there.

  
"Do you want me to drop you off?" Christina asked as they made their way out of the bedroom and down the stairs into the living room.

  
"No, don't worry, I'll just take the subway. I don't want you to be late for work."

  
"It's no problem."

  
Still, Ruby declined the offer. Christina pursed her lips thoughtfully as Ruby put on her shoes. As she placed her guitar over her shoulders, Christina said:

  
"Listen, I know I said I don't do relationships. But I had a great time with you last night, and not just the sex."

  
She pulled a card from her pocket and handed it to Ruby. Her phone number was inscribed on it, along with her full name, Christina Braithwhite, Ph.D.

  
"Call me."

* * *

Ruby arrived home just as Letitia was finishing her breakfast. Leti heard the door open and close, the keys jiggling in the lock, and finally Ruby put her guitar down.

  
"So what's his name? I want details," Leti said between two mouthfuls of cereals.

  
Ruby took off her jacket and shoes then went into the kitchen to make herself some coffee. She found that Leti had already brewed some and poured herself a cup.

  
"Her name doesn't matter much because I might never see her again. And I'm not giving you any details, that's disgusting."

  
"Come on! You're out all night with some blonde lady, I have the right to ask."

  
Ruby, who was blowing softly on her mug, frowned.

  
"Wait, how do you know she's blonde?"

  
"When I didn't see you this morning I called Sammy. He said you left with some fancy blonde so I wasn't too worried."

  
"What's that supposed to mean? It's the first time I slept in someone else's bed in years."

  
Leti washed her bowl and spoon in the sink.

  
"So you're not gonna see her again then?"

  
Ruby shrugged vaguely.

  
"I'm not sure, alright? She said she's not into relationships but then she also gave me her number. Now come on, hurry up or you'll be late for class."

  
"But if you'll see her again, you'll tell me, right?"

  
"Yes, I will tell you. Now off you go."

  
Leti hurried out of the apartment to please her sister, but her walk between the apartment and the subway station was done leisurely. She was in no hurry to go to school, especially since her first period was History. Still, she arrived just on time to sit in her usual spot, Atticus to her left. She turned to face him fully, prompting her best friend to put down his old copy of _Something Wicked This Way Comes_.

  
"Ruby stayed out last night," Letitia said in a low voice so only he would hear. "She said she was out with a woman, a 'fancy blonde' according to Sammy."

  
"And?" Atticus prompted because he knew there was always an 'and' with Leti.

  
"And it's exciting. I've never seen her with anyone before. After everything with mom and losing the house, I think she really deserves to find someone who makes her happy."  
"And that mysterious woman could be that someone."

  
"Why not? There are stranger places than to find the love of your life in Sammy's bar. I mean, look at your dad."

  
The teacher entered then, carrying a heavy leather bag. Although she barely pushed the door with her foot it seemed to slam behind her as if by magic. All of the students jumped into their seats as the woman placed her bag on the desk and began unpacking her things. Leti was a second too late to shift back into place, and the teacher swiftly noticed her, her icy blue eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

  
"Miss Lewis, class has started, you can talk to mister Freeman once again in an hour."

  
"Yes, miss Braithwhite," Leti muttered bitterly as she shifted to sit properly in her chair. It was going to be a long hour.


	2. The Familiar Stranger at the Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christina and Ruby plan their first date

At the lunch break, Christina thought she was going insane. She'd had Ruby's voice stuck in her head all morning, and the purplish marks on her neck seemed to burn through the scarf. She couldn't get the singer out of her mind. She'd been obsessed with things before, but they were always subjects she was working on, and never people. Obsessing over people was different, and more troubling because it took more brainpower, and Christina didn't want to look like she was spacing out in front of her students.

  
She desperately wanted to see Ruby again. Her brain was craving the other woman as one would crave food. But she'd left it in Ruby's hand, and until she contacted her, Christina had no way of seeing her again. Christina had decided that if Ruby didn't contact her, she would go back to the bar next Thursday, and try to engage the conversation again. This was the opposite of what she would usually do. Christina didn't pursue people like that, especially after she'd gotten them. She was like a snake. She needed a warm body from time to time, but it could take her a while before she sought another one. This wasn't the behavior of a snake, but a ferocious tiger, always on the hunt.

  
Before going to lunch, Christina went back to her car. She'd left a bag of essays in her trunk that she needed to hand back. As she walked to the car she checked her phone. She'd sent a dismissive message to the woman who'd stood her up the night before, telling her that she should not contact her again before blocking her number. She'd received a new message, however. It read 'If you don't do relationship then why did you give me your number?' A smile bloomed on her face.

  
As she opened her trunk and saved the number in her phone. After picking up the bundle of paper, she dialed the number. To her pleasure, Ruby picked up.

  
"I don't know," Christina said, hoping Ruby would understand that she was answering her question. "But I haven't been able to get you out of my mind the entire morning."

  
"I told you flattery would get you nowhere with me."

  
"It's no flattery. I've been spacing out all morning, my students are going to start asking questions."

  
"Is that your way of saying that you want to see me again?"

  
"I would like to see you again, yes. How about tonight? I'll come to pick you up at eight and we could go get dinner?"

  
"Just dinner?" Ruby asked.

  
"And more, if you want to."

  
"I don't want to be out two nights in a row."

  
"Just dinner then? I'll keep my hands to myself."

  
"Alright. Be there at eight, I'll text you the address."

  
"See you tonight."

  
"See you."

  
Ruby hung up and Christina had to purse her lips to hide her smile. She was too close to the school now, it wouldn't do any good if the students began to think that she had emotions.

* * *

Christina was quick to return home after school, only to realize that she still had four hours to wait before her date. So, she did what she usually did. She started grading papers. Soon enough she was out of papers to grade, and she picked up a book and read. She was researching the next article she wanted to submit to a peer review. Before she knew it, it was seven, she'd received Ruby's address, and she went to get ready.

  
After a quick shower, she put on an outfit similar to the one she'd worn the night before. Dark gray pants, a light blue shirt, and another scarf. Not that she didn't like to look at the marks left by Ruby the night before, but she got them a table at a high-class restaurant, and having very distinctive hickeys on her neck would raise a few eyebrows. Once she was ready, she checked the address and the location of the nearest flower shop. She picked up a bouquet of lavender roses on the way.

  
She found with surprise that, unlike the day before, she was nervous about this date. She had never gotten clammy hands until this evening. No matter how many deep breaths she tried to take, it never was enough to calm her heart. She had a bad feeling about it, a sort of disheartening intuition that she'd rather ignore. She arrived in front of Ruby's apartment building right on time. Then, she texted her, saying that she was waiting downstairs. A minute later, Ruby replied, saying that she wasn't ready yet and that if she wanted to come up and wait inside she could. She would just have to stand her sister assaulting her with questions. Christina thought she could deal with one teenager, so she left her car, picked up her bouquet, and stepped inside of the building.

  
The elevator was out of order, so she had to take the stairs. Ruby was on the fourth floor, which was at the limit of the acceptable. Christina took a deep breath when she arrived on the landing, once again trying to ease her heart. She found the apartment door Ruby had given her, and the buzzer beside the door was marked with Ruby's last name. She was certain she was at the right place. She rang. The wooden front door was paper-thin, and through it, she heard Ruby's voice saying:

  
"Can you get it?"

  
Christina expected Ruby's sister to open. She put on the easy, casual smile she sometimes put around other people, keeping the bouquet in one hand while the other went into the pocket of her pants. The door flew open. The teenager standing on the other side was smaller and slimmer than Ruby, with a lighter skin tone. They had almost the same haircut, short and curly, but the teenager's hair was just an inch or two longer. It didn't take more than a split second for Christina to recognize Letitia. And the same was true for Leti, who's smile instantly melted off of her face. She slammed the door shut, pulling Christina out of her shock. Through the door, the blonde heard her student yelling:

  
"Ruby! Why is my History teacher at the door with a goddamn bouquet!"

  
Christina berated herself. How had she not made the connection before? Maybe because they looked nothing alike, and they didn't even have the same last name. She vaguely remembered being told that Letitia had lost her mother recently, which she had promptly filed into 'Might lead to some behavior problems, give her some slack'.

  
A moment later, the door opened again. Leti was still on the other side, visibly unhappy about the situation.

  
"Ruby said I have to let you in."

  
Christina stepped inside carefully, aware of the teenager glaring openly at her.

  
"Thank you, Letitia."

  
The apartment was the size of her living room. There was a small kitchen corner to her left, a living room in front of her, with windows showing a minuscule balcony on the other side. There was one door to the left of the living room and two to the right. Family pictures occupied most of the available space on shelves, a few larger ones hanging on the walls. Although Christina was curious, she didn't look too closely, aware that Letitia was keeping a very close eye on her.

  
All tension in the room was briefly sucked out when Ruby stepped out of her bedroom. She was wearing a red dress, similarly low cut as the evening before. The sight of her made Christina lick her lips.

  
"You look gorgeous," she said, making Leti roll her eyes.

  
Ruby smiled.

  
"Thank you. Are these for me?"

  
"Obviously."

  
Christina handed the bouquet to Ruby, who looked at the flowers for a second, before glaring over Christina's shoulder. Christina knew exactly whom she was glaring at, but she didn't turn around to see whatever face Leti was making. As if to annoy her sister more, Ruby kissed Christina's cheek, leaving a faint trace of lipstick behind.

  
"Leti, can I trust you to put these in a vase and not put them in the garbage disposal?"

  
Leti reached for the flowers violently and went to the kitchen. Ruby nudged Christina toward the exit, and Christina moved toward the door quickly.

  
"I should be back before eleven, for real this time. We will talk about this," she warned before shutting the door.

* * *

Neither Ruby nor Christina spoke until they were in the car. Christina opened the door for Ruby, just as she had the evening before. Then, she settled behind the wheel. She backed out of the parking spot and drove off toward the restaurant.

  
"I didn't realize your sister was Letitia Lewis," Christina said.

  
Ruby hummed.

  
"The same Letitia Lewis who wanted to skip over the Civil War because, and I quote 'We know the bad guys lost, so why do we still bother talking about them?'"

  
"That's her..."

  
"I mean, I get it. Sometimes it's hard to stay objective in the face of injustice. But it's important to still address both sides of a conflict, even when one side was so obviously wrong."

  
Ruby could only vaguely nod.

  
"It's not going to be a problem? That's you're dating the sister of one of your students?"

  
Christina shook her head.

  
"I don't think so. One of the literature teachers is married to one of her former students and the story on how they got together is a bit..."

  
Ruby seemed to relax in her seat slightly.

  
"I can't believe you're the teacher Leti has been complaining about for weeks now."

  
Christina chuckled.

  
"She's not a bad student. I can see that she doesn't care about the subject, but not everyone always is."

  
"Do you know they have a nickname for you?"

  
"The ice witch, I know."

  
Ruby raised an eyebrow.

  
"Witch? That's not the word I heard Leti say."

  
Christina sighed.

  
"You don't have a problem with it? That I'm your sister's teacher?"

  
Ruby shook her head.

  
"If anything, now I'm sure you weren't lying about being a high school teacher."

  
"You still had doubt?"

  
"Let's say five percent of doubt? But seeing Leti's face after she opened the door, I don't have any doubts now."

* * *

Their date went as smoothly as it could go. They arrived at a beautiful Italian restaurant and were guided to a small table in a corner. Behind them was a window which gave onto the street, and Grant Park on the other side. Dinner flew by amidst conversations. The problem of Leti was quickly forgotten, even if she popped back into the conversation from time to time. As Christina had promised, she kept her hands to herself, being the perfect gentleman. They left the restaurant at around ten-thirty as Ruby wanted to keep her promise to her sister. Christina paid without question.

  
She drove Ruby back and parked in the same spot she'd parked when she'd come to pick her up. To her surprise, Ruby didn't step out. Instead, she used Christina's scarf to bring her into a kiss. Christina kissed her back for as long as Ruby allowed her. Ruby pulled away and said:

  
"I had a very nice evening."

  
"Me too," Christina admitted. "I always thought dates were the painful part of wooing someone, but you just proved me wrong."

  
Ruby smiled.

  
"Next date is on me. I'll call you."

  
Ruby smoothed her dress then sighed.

  
"Now I have to go deal with a pissed off teenager."

  
Before she could step out of the car, Christina leaned in for one last kiss.

  
"For motivation," she explained as they separated.

  
Ruby left the car. She heard the car's engine starting up again as she pushed the door of the building open. She climbed the four floors up slowly, pacing herself and preparing herself for the fight to come.

  
When she unlocked the door, Leti was seating in front of the TV, watching some documentary on wild animal photographs. Ruby hoped for a moment that she'd cool off and maybe changed her mind. The bouquet of roses was on the kitchen table in a vase, just as she'd asked. She'd probably misjudged her sister's reaction.

  
"Hey. How was your evening?" Ruby asked as she took off her shoes.

  
Instantly, Leti turned off the TV and turned to look at her older sister, and Ruby knew that Leti was just as pissed as before.

  
"Are you insane! You actually went out with her!"

  
Ruby sighed.

  
"Leti, come on. You spent the entire evening excited that I was finally going on a date, and now you're angry that I went on a date?"

  
"With her! She's the ice bitch!"

  
"Leti," Ruby said as a warning, although it sounded a lot more like a threat. "Her name is Christina, and I actually had a great time with her again. And I'm going to see her again whether you like it or not."

  
"How could you do this to me?" Leti shouted.

  
"To you? Are you serious? Do you really think I went out of my way to go out with your History teacher? She didn't know either, she was just as surprised to see you as you were to see her. I'm going to see her again, and that's final!"

  
Leti pushed herself off the couch and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Ruby sighed and let herself fall on the couch. This certainly was the only problem she hadn't even considered. Maybe she should warn Christina that Leti would be even more prompt to acting up than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Alright brain, we need an animal that is always on the hunt for the same sort of food.  
> My brain: A panda!  
> Me: A tiger, good choice!
> 
> I was very glad to hear all of you loved the first chapter! I told you this one would be good. Please keep the comments coming, they're a real pleasure.  
> What Christina says in the car about having to look at both sides when you study History is a lesson I learned the hard way when I was in my second year of BA, and I had to make a presentation on the anti-feminist movement in the 70s. And it was awful, and I hate them with every fiber of my being, but I did it.  
> Yesterday I was pretty confident in the story I was working on, but this morning it didn't seem like such a good idea anymore. I think I'll stay away from the fallout of season 1 from now on. FakePlastikTrees did a magnificent job with it already anyway (If you haven't read "Because I Could Not Stop for Death", it's a must-read) I've got college work to do today, but then I'll probably start working on the sequel to The Never Named City.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you tomorrow for the next one!


	3. The Problem of Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Christina continue to see each other, and Leti is not coming around

Ruby called a few days later. On Tuesday evening, Christina met her at a music bar where one of Ruby's friends and her band were playing that evening. The music was good, though not as good as when Ruby was the one singing. They drank, they talked, at one point Christina got a hold of Ruby's hand and she didn't want to let it go until they left the bar. When Christina suggested they go back to her place, Ruby hesitated. The prospect of Leti waiting for her at home was daunting. Her sister still hadn't come around, and she didn't want to make things worse by not coming home. Christina drove her home and said with a wink:

  
"See you on Thursday."

  
Ruby understood quickly what she meant. Leti was sulking on the couch when she came back.

  
"Are you going to see her again?" she asked.

  
"Yes, I am."

  
Leti turned off the TV and walked off to her bedroom without another word.

* * *

On Thursday evening, just as she had promised, Christina was seated at the counter near the stage when Ruby came on. She listened attentively as Ruby purposefully picked songs she hadn't played the previous week. Christina was hypnotized by her voice the entire time, forgetting even to drink. By the time the performance was over, and Ruby joined her at the bar, Christina had made up her mind.

  
"I could hear you singing all day long," Christina said as Ruby finished her water bottle.

  
"Guess you'll have to wait until next week for another performance."

  
"Let's say, hypothetically, I bring you home with me tonight. Would you sing me a song then?"

  
Ruby licked the corner of her lips, making Christina's heart skip a bit.

  
"If you bring me home with you tonight, I'm the one who's gonna make you sing."

  
Christina smirked as warmth spread around her body.

  
"You aren't due home?"

  
"I might have told Leti I was spending the night at your place."

  
"See, didn't I promise you'd want more?"

* * *

On Saturday morning, Christina was pulled out of her work by a phone call from Ruby.

  
"Would you be interested in coming over for dinner tonight?" Ruby asked.

  
"Depends. Isn't your sister going to be pissed?"

  
"I'm asking you because Leti's not here tonight. She's at Atticus'. Apparently, he found some very old horror movies they need to check out. So she'll be gone all night."

  
Christina glanced at the time and realized it was almost lunchtime. She'd planned to work on her article all day and well into the evening, but then again she didn't have any deadlines, so she could stop working a bit earlier than she'd planned.

  
"You know what, sure. Do you need me to bring anything?"

  
"Surprise me."

  
At seven-thirty Christina was ringing at Ruby's front door. Ruby had warned her not to come too early or Leti would still be there. To her relief, Ruby was the one who opened. Instantly the smell of a hundred different spices filled the air. Christina handed a bouquet of orange roses to Ruby. In her other hand, she carried a bottle of wine.

  
"If you keep bringing me flowers every week I'm going to run out of places to put them," Ruby said as she closed the door behind the blonde.

  
"The point is to replace the previous ones."

  
"But the purple ones are still fine."

  
Indeed, Christina could see them on top of a shelf in the living room, looking almost as good as they did when she'd bought them the week before. Ruby placed the orange roses on the kitchen table, then took the bottle Christina was handing her and placed it beside the flowers. Before she could look for a vase, Christina got a hold of her wrist and pulled her in for a kiss. Ruby kissed her back deeply. She felt Christina nudging her backward, toward the couch. Breathless, Ruby said between two kisses:

  
"You couldn't even wait after dinner..."

  
"I'm skipping to dessert."

  
Soon enough, Ruby was laying down on the couch, Christina straddling her waist. Ruby had pushed Christina's jacket off of her shoulders while Christina was kissing and nibbling Ruby's neck, making her breath hitch in her throat. Christina began wrestling Ruby's blouse free from her skirt. Her desire for more skin to worship was insatiable. Ruby had threaded her hand through Christina's long locks, while the other was hiking her shirt up. If she could take off the garment without having to struggle with the buttons, she would consider it a win. Suddenly, the smoke alarm went off.

  
Ruby bolted upright, bringing Christina with her. Christina was quick to jump off of her lap so Ruby could run to the kitchen. The pan hadn't caught on fire yet, but it was making so much smoke that Ruby hurriedly took it away from the stove and brought it outside onto the balcony. Meanwhile, Christina went to the smoke detector and took it off the wall, before removing the batteries. When Ruby returned, disheartened, she placed the pan back onto the stove. What had been a pan full of deep orange-colored rice and shrimp was now a pan of chunks of brown.

  
"This is the first time in my entire life that I've burned food. The first."

  
Christina couldn't help but smile with a certain pride. Her smile disappeared quickly when Ruby glared at her.

  
"It's fine," Christina said. "We can try it anyway. And if it's really not any good, we can always order pizzas. It's my fault, I'll pay..."

  
Ruby shook her head.

  
"No, I..."

  
She sighed.

  
"I wanted to cook for you because I can't take you to all those fancy restaurants. And I get that you don't care about your money, but I don't have that kind of money."

  
Christina took Ruby's hand in hers, placing a kiss on her back of her hand before she said:

  
"I appreciate that you made dinner for me. And I didn't realize that the restaurant had made you uncomfortable. I just thought you might like it."

  
"It was fine, really. But you've been paying all of my drinks, even when I was the one who invited you."

  
Christina nodded in understanding. Ruby sighed again and looked at the pan of burned dinner.

  
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway."

  
Christina picked up the bottle of wine on the table.

  
"We could always drink the whole bottle until we either pass out or you drag me to your bedroom."

  
Ruby chuckled. She opened one of the cupboards and found an old box of crackers. Christina smiled.

  
"Perfect."

* * *

The next morning Christina woke up in a foreign bed. It never happened. The dull pounding ache of a wine hangover pulsed in the center of her brain. Ruby was still asleep against her, one arm draped across her waist, keeping her close. Christina's hands wandered over dark skin, her fingers gliding gently up and down Ruby's arm.

  
Ruby was woken up by soft kisses against her shoulders and neck. It sent shivers all over her body. She opened her eyes and found Christina's eyes staring at her with intensity, the blue blown away to a thin ring.

  
"Didn't you get enough last night?" Ruby mumbled sleepily as Christina shifted closer.

  
"I've made my peace with the fact that I will never get enough of you," Christina replied before she leaned down for a kiss.

  
Ruby kissed her back. Christina then began kissing her way down Ruby's body. Ruby's eyes fluttered, sleep leaving her body at last. Her eyes fell for a moment on the alarm clock beside her bed, and she sighed both of pleasure and frustration.

  
"Wait... It's already past ten-thirty. Leti could be back."

  
Christina paused after placing a kiss between her breasts and she looked at Ruby as if she didn't understand why this was a problem.

  
"The walls are paper thin."

  
Christina smiled devilishly.

  
"Then I guess you'll have to keep it quiet."

  
She continued her descent, kissing Ruby's bellybutton before shifting off of Ruby entirely. She was teasing the inside of her thigh, making her way up, when they heard the front door open loudly, and slamming shut.

  
"Ruby," Leti called out from the living room.

  
Ruby tried to answer, but Christina licked the sensitive skin inside Ruby's thigh, making her voice jolt.

  
"We're not... we're not decent," she finished, glaring at Christina.

  
"She's still here," Leti replied with obvious annoyance.

  
"Yes, we just woke up."

  
There was shuffling outside, then the door opened again.

  
"She better be gone when I come back."

  
The door slammed behind her, and Ruby sighed. Christina sat up, feeling the shift in the air.

  
"She's still not coming around, is she?"

  
Ruby shook her head and Christina moved to lay beside her again.

  
"I don't want to come between you two. I don't have siblings so I can't understand, but your relationship is important, and if I'm putting a strain on it..."

  
Ruby smiled sadly at Christina.

  
"She's just being stubborn. I think if she could spend at least a bit of time with you she would see that you aren't this ice witch all your students seem to think you are. But she will never agree to it. And it sucks. But I don't want to stop seeing you just because she doesn't like it. I've been selfless enough these past few years, I have the right to be selfish, just this once."

  
Christina smiled.

  
"Speaking of which I have a question to ask you," the blonde said. "I know I told you that I don't do relationships and it used to be true."

  
"Used to?"

  
"I suppose you broke my rule. I always thought relationships were just a waste of time, and I could be doing something productive instead, but every time you call I'm just ready to drop everything for you. So I think I'd like a relationship with you."

  
Ruby smiled.

  
"Is this your way of asking if I want to be your girlfriend?"

  
"If you think it could work. If you think that being with me is worth losing your relationship with your sister."

  
Ruby rolled her eyes, her arms coming to rest on Christina's shoulders.

  
"I'm not going to lose my relationship with Leti because of you. This is nothing. Once she didn't speak to me for a week because I wouldn't lend her a book. Granted she was five, but still. She's a teenager. Eventually, it'll pass, and she'll realize that she was being stupid like all teenagers do."

  
She pulled Christina in a kiss, which the blonde reciprocated eagerly. Soon enough, Christina was back above Ruby.

  
"How long before she comes back?" she asked.

  
"I don't know, an hour maybe."

  
Christina smirked.

  
"That's far more than I need."

* * *

Christina returned to Ruby's apartment a few times after that. The handful of times Leti was there, she pretended that Christina wasn't in the room, referring to her as simply 'she' or 'her'. Even when she wasn't there, she refused to say her name, as if saying her name would make her any more real.

  
It was two weeks after they'd started dating that Christina had to speak to Leti, not as her sister's girlfriend but as her teacher. They'd moved on from the Civil War into the Reconstruction era. Leti had stopped making comments about the Confederates and seemed to be at the very least listening while Christina spoke of the few African American representatives who had been elected after the Civil War. As the class ended, Christina wrote down the homework for the following week on the whiteboard.

  
"And don't forget to pick your partner for the presentations before the end of next week. I'll give you a list of subjects you can pick from."

  
She put the marker down and turned to the class. All the students were hurriedly packing.

  
"Miss Lewis, a word before you run off for the weekend."

  
Leti visibly paused before closing her bag. She stepped slowly up to the desk. Christina took a sheet of paper out of a stack and leaned against the front of the desk. She waited until all of the other students had stepped out. Then, she opened the paper on the desk. It was supposed to be an essay on the destruction of Atlanta. Amidst the paper was hidden, written in large letters 'Stop fucking my sister or I'll tell'.

  
"Threats only work when you have leverage, Letitia. Maybe you should have checked the teacher's guidebook before you tried. There's nothing wrong with me dating your sister. What is wrong is that you thought you could get away with this. So I'm doing you a favor. I won't tell principal Dupree about your threat. But I'm giving you detention for not handing in proper work, and I'll give you another essay to work on."

  
Leti glared at her, but Christina wasn't remotely affected.

  
"I don't care that you hate me. But until your sister decides that she doesn't want me around anymore, you're not getting rid of me. And if you try this again, or start disturbing my class, I won't hesitate to give you more detention. Are we clear?"

  
"Yes, ma'am," Leti said between clenched teeth.

  
"Good. You can go."

  
Leti stomped out of the door, and Christina was pretty sure she could hear her rage-filled scream echo down the hall.

* * *

"You called Marvin!" Ruby shouted.

  
Leti had just gone home after spending the rest of the afternoon ranting to Atticus.

  
"Who else was I supposed to call!" Leti replied just as loudly.

  
"I don't know! Maybe don't call our brother to tell him that I'm dating an absolute bitch who hates you so that I don't have to waste half an hour trying to explain everything to him?"

  
Leti threw her backpack on the ground near the front door.

  
"She gave me detention!"

  
"Because you deserved it! What were you thinking, Leti, threatening your teacher like that?"

  
"I thought we could go back to how things were before when it was just the two of us."

  
Ruby shook her head.

  
"Don't give me that excuse. Have you already forgotten how excited you were when I went on a date with her? You don't have a problem with me dating, you have a problem with her. And I get that you don't like her as a teacher, but if you would actually give her a chance, maybe you would start to like her as a person."

  
"Not gonna happen! And I'm going to Tic's for the night. She better not be there when I come back tomorrow!"

  
Leti disappeared into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Ruby stood behind the door and shouted:

  
"You don't get to decide who I date or not, and if you continue to behave like that, then maybe you should go to Marvin's next year."

  
Leti's door opened back suddenly, prompting Ruby to take a step back. Leti had a bag under her arm.

  
"Sure, get rid of me like it's going to solve the problem that you're dating a bitch!"

  
She was out of the door behind Ruby could reply. The front door slammed shut, making all the frames on the walls shake. Ruby let out a long sigh, out of words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just one more chapter tomorrow, and then on Tuesday I'll be posting the one-shot sequel. Just not right away in the morning cause it's a long one-shot and I've got a class.  
> I'm making good progress on the sequel to The Never Named City, all things considered. Not so great progress on my school assignments, but you win some you lose some...  
> Anyway, as usual, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you tomorrow for the finale!


	4. Put a Bandage on it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things reach a breaking point...

Leti started ignoring Ruby as well. Any attempts that Ruby would make to talk to her would inevitably turn into a screaming match, and even they grew tired of it eventually. So, they were at a cold, silent stalemate, wherein Leti pretended she was alone in the apartment, and Ruby kept waiting for the right moment to speak to her. That moment never seemed to come.

  
There were other dates with Christina, other moments where Christina asked if Ruby was sure they should continue their relationship. Ruby was adamant that they do because she couldn't let Leti win, let her sister's selfishness tear her away from this one good thing that had happened to her. To Christina's surprise, Leti didn't disturb her class in retaliation. Instead, she completely disconnected from the class.

  
It was a Friday. Christina had just finished her lunch, and she was making her way to her next class of the day. She and Ruby had planned to go to the cinema this evening, and she was looking forward to it. Commotion down the hall pulled her out of her thoughts. A large group of students had gathered in the middle of a corridor, forming an almost perfect circle, which could only mean trouble. She and a few teachers ahead of her hurried to the crowd. The PE teacher, a tall burly man, parted the group with ease and broke up the fight. As Christina arrived, she saw the PE teacher holding back Tree, while Atticus was pulling an enraged Leti away. She kept screaming at Tree:

  
"Say that to my face again, you motherfucker!"

  
"Alright, that's enough," Christina said, her cold severe voice cutting through the students' whispers. "Everyone, the show is over."

  
The rest of the students dispersed quickly. Neither Atticus nor the other teacher wanted to relinquish their holds on the two fighting students. Tree had scratches on one side of his face, and his cheek was already swelling from what was bound to have been quite the punch. Leti was unscathed, except for her right hand – her punching hand – which she was holding close to her chest. Christina wasn't a nurse, but she suspected that she'd broken something.

  
"Someone should get the nurse, I think miss Lewis' hand is broken."

  
"It's Friday, the nurse isn't working," one of the other teachers reminded her.

  
Christina cursed her luck.

  
"Alright. I think we should bring them to the principal for now."

  
The PE teacher nodded and he let go of Tree and pushed him toward the principal's office. Atticus was still reluctant to let go of Leti.

  
"It's alright, Mister Freeman. I'll keep an eye on her."

  
Reluctantly, Atticus let go of Leti. Still holding onto her wounded hand, she began walking toward the principal's office, Christina right behind her.

* * *

Tree and Leti had each been placed in a corner of the waiting room outside of the principal's office, the school's security guard keeping an eye on them in case they began fighting again. In the principal's office, Christina and the PE teacher had described what they'd seen of the fight. The principal had then called Tree's father, and he was about to call Leti's sister when Christina said:

  
"Sir, I think Letitia needs medical attention. Someone should take her to the hospital."

  
He nodded, then called.

  
"Miss Baptiste, this is principal Dupree from Upton Sinclair High. I'm calling because your sister Letitia has gotten into a fight and we suspect that she might have broken something."

  
"You suspect that she might have broken something?" Ruby repeated on the other side of the line. Christina could imagine her exasperation. "What did the nurse say?"

  
"As you might know already our school nurse doesn't work on Fridays. But her History teacher, miss Braithwhite, seems to think that she has broken her bones in the fight."

  
"Is miss Braithwhite here?" Ruby asked.

  
"I'm here, Ruby," Christina replied, hijacking the conversation from the principal.

  
"What happened?"

  
"From what I gathered, Tree said something to Leti that she didn't like and she punched him. I think she broke her hand but I can't be sure."

  
"Can't you call an ambulance?"

  
"Calling an ambulance! In this economy!" Principal Dupree said, scandalized.

  
"I'll take her," Christina suggested. "I don't mind. You can meet us there after work."

  
"No way I'm staying at work when my sister is in the hospital. I'll come as soon as I can."

  
"Alright, we'll see you then."

  
Ruby hung up and Christina felt the confused gaze of both the principal and the PE teacher.

  
"What about the sanction for starting a fight?" Dupree said.

  
"I think it can wait until Monday morning once we've made sure one of our students doesn't have broken bones."

  
Christina left the principal's office and turned to Leti.

  
"Come on, I'm taking you to the hospital. Your sister will meet us there."

  
Leti glared at her but cooperated.

* * *

Christina helped Leti in her car before driving off. The teenager was keeping her hand close to her chest, curled away from Christina and staring out of the window. As they stopped at a red light, Christina asked:

  
"What did Tree say to you?"

  
At first, she thought Leti wasn't going to answer. But eventually, the teenager said:

  
"Does it matter?"

  
"It does because right now it looks pretty bad for you. He's the only one with visible wounds, and a broken hand is just collateral damage."

  
Christina paused, waiting to see if Leti would offer more information.

  
"I'm trying to help you here, Letitia. If Tree said something inappropriate he should get into as much trouble as you."

  
"It doesn't matter. He said something about Ruby. You wouldn't understand."

  
"It's true that I don't understand wanting to defend your sister. I don't have one. But if anyone said something bad about Ruby in front of me, I would probably punch them too."

  
Christina tried to offer a comforting smile but Leti wouldn't look at her.

  
"For now let's just make sure your hand still works."

  
They arrived at the ER and waited twenty minutes to speak with the nurse at the reception. By then, Christina already knew that her evening date would be scrapped. She expected them to be stuck at the ER until late into the evening, seeing the number of patients.

  
"What can I do for you?"

  
Christina made a split decision:

  
"Hi, we're here for a probably broken hand," she said, motioning to Leti beside her, who was holding a slowly swelling hand. "I'm her sister's girlfriend, her sister will be here shortly."

  
The nurse nodded and handed them a document to fill in.

  
"Please fill this in and wait for a doctor to call you. What's your name?" she asked Leti.

  
"Letitia Lewis."

  
The nurse typed her name, then sent them off to the waiting room. Christina looked at the document she'd just been handed. It was full of information she couldn't fill in, and she doubted Leti would give her any of the answers.

  
Ruby arrived some ten minutes later in obvious panic. As soon as she spotted them, she rushed up to them.

  
"Are you okay?" she asked, looking Leti up and down as if to check that there weren't any other wounds on her.

  
"I'm fine. It's just my hand."

  
"What were you thinking? Punching Tree! He's twice your size!"

  
Leti said nothing, and she began sulking again. Ruby sighed and turned to Christina, who took her hand and smiled at her.

  
"Hey."

  
Ruby sat beside Christina.

  
"Thank you for taking her."

  
"Is it alright? With work?"

  
"Yeah, that's what family emergencies are for."

  
"Here."

  
Christina handed the piece of paper to Ruby.

  
"I couldn't fill it in."

  
"You've done enough," Ruby assured. "You can go back to the school if you want, I won't force you to wait all afternoon."

  
Christina shook her head.

  
"I'll stay here. I'll keep you company."

  
Ruby smiled, squeezing Christina's hand before letting go to start filling in the sheet.

* * *

By four they'd yet to be called. Leti was in pain, but there wasn't much that Ruby or Christina could do about it. Ruby decided to go and ask. Christina offered a comforting smile to Leti.

  
"I'm sure it won't be much longer now."

  
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who's gonna lose a hand."

  
Christina leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital seat.

  
"You're not going to lose a hand. They'll do an X-ray, see that one of your bones is probably broken, and give you a cast."

  
"What do you know about fixing broken bones?"

  
"Because it's what happened to me when I was a kid."

  
"You broke a bone?"

  
Christina chuckled.

  
"What does this surprise you?"

  
"I don't know, I sorta thought you were entirely made of ice."

  
Christina shook her head with amusement.

  
"Well, anyway. I was six and I climbed too high on a tree in the backyard of our summer house."

  
Leti rolled her eyes.

  
"I fell and I broke my knee. My father was pissed. He forbade me from going into the garden ever again."

  
"He sounds like an asshole."

  
"He is. If I could have him assassinated to inherit all of his fortune right now I would, but he has a clause in his testament against mysterious deaths of that kind, and I want his money."

  
This made Leti chuckled.

  
"What would he say if he knew you're dating Ruby?"

  
"He won't care. That's the thing about my father. He doesn't care about me so long as it doesn't make him look bad. The moment his daughter could have died from negligence because she was climbing a tree unsupervised, it matters to him. Now I've put enough distance between us that he barely remembers to call me for Christmas."

  
There was no sadness as she spoke. She was simply explaining things. Somehow, Leti looked sad for her.

  
Ruby returned grumbling and sat down beside Christina.

  
"They won't give her anything until the doctor has seen her..."

  
"It's alright," Leti assured. "I can take it."

* * *

An hour later and all three of them had lost any hope of ever being called by a doctor. Christina had been eying the food distributors on the other side of the waiting room for a good hour now and waited until a bunch of unruly children had stopped playing with all of the buttons before she stood up.

  
"I'm gonna go get a coffee. You guys want anything?"

  
Leti shrugged.

  
"A coffee too, please," Ruby said.

  
Christina nodded and traversed the room to the machines. She selected a coffee on the beverage dispenser. As the machine filled in the order, she looked at the food dispenser beside it. They had Mars bars available. She bought one, and pulled her coffee from the machine, and ordered another. She placed the bar in the back pocket of her pants, picked up the second coffee, and returned to the two sisters. She handed her coffee to Ruby, then pulled the chocolate bar and held it out for Leti to take.

  
"Here."

  
Leti took the bar with a frown.

  
"How did you know I like those?" she asked as Christina sat back down.

  
"I might have seen a few wrappers laying around the apartment. And I know Ruby isn't a fan of caramel."

  
Leti was speechless at first. Then, she struggled to open it with one hand. Finally, she tore off the wrapper with her teeth, refusing Ruby's help.

* * *

Half an hour later they were finally called. Leti was checked by a young intern who had her sent up for an X-ray. Since only one person was allowed there, Christina returned to the waiting room. Ruby texted her whenever she could until they'd returned to the ER. Just as Christina had predicted, she'd broken one of the bones in her hand. Christina returned to Ruby and Leti's side as the intern was wrapping Leti's hand in a cast.

  
"How's the amputation going?" Christina asked as she arrived, making Leti roll her eyes.

  
"I hope Tree is going to keep his bruise for as long as I have to keep this stupid thing."

  
"Leti," Ruby warned.

  
"What's the point otherwise?"

  
Once the plaster cast was done, Leti was discharged and sent home with pain medication and a check-up in a month, to make sure her bone was growing back as it should.

  
Outside, the sun had already set. It was almost dinner time, and Christina thought that if they hurried, she and Ruby might still catch their screening. However, she didn't suggest it, as she knew Ruby would want to stay with Leti.

  
"How about we go to Matt's for dinner?" Leti suggested.

  
"I don't know. Punching your classmate isn't a behavior I should reward," Ruby said.

  
"Please? I've been suffering all afternoon."

  
Ruby sighed.

  
"Fine."

  
Then, to their surprise, Leti turned to Christina.

  
"You coming?"

  
Christina frowned in confusion. She looked at Ruby, who seemed just as confused as her.

  
"I suppose I am."

  
"Cool. We can take your car then."

  
Leti began walking toward where she knew Christina had parked. The couple followed, confusedly whispering to each other. Leti heard them still. She turned around and said:

  
"It doesn't mean that I like you all of a sudden. But you're okay."

  
Christina smiled.

  
"I'll take it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! I mean, there's the one-shot sequel tomorrow, but still... I hope you enjoyed it :)  
> "Calling an ambulance! In this economy!" is the dumbest, best line of dialog I've ever written in almost ten years of writing. My career is over now, this is the apex. I'll never do anything better.  
> Anyway, once again, I hope you enjoyed this story, thanks for keeping up, and I hope you have a nice week!


End file.
